1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a form fitting athletic support garment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the popularity of professional and amateur sports and athletic events, considerable attention has been given to the health and fitness of the athlete. Active individuals rely heavily on their legs for maneuverability and speed. Even the most fit athlete can from time to time incur injuries from extension exertion or extreme maneuvers. Injuries often occur in the upper leg, hamstring, quads or groin area of the athlete. Those injuries can often plague the athlete repeatedly, particularly when the athletic schedule does not provide sufficient time for complete healing or recovery.
It has been recognized that support and warmth is important in preventing injury in the first place and in, after an injury has occurred, allowing the athlete to heal. To this end, spandex shorts or liners have gained popularity in both professional leagues and with the weekend athlete. Those shorts are often constructed of a polyurethane block copolymer of elastomeric fibers, such as Lycra(copyright) available from Dupont. Such elastomeric products are popular for these applications since they exhibit an amazing capability to stretch, up to six or seven times the original length, and snap back to the starting size with no loss of elasticity. Typically, Lycra(copyright) is combined with other fibers, either natural or man made.
It is a characteristic of Lycra(copyright) that, in the form fitting athlete shorts construction, the material must be of substantial thickness, often on the order of 14 to 15 ounces per square yard, to provide the necessary support and warmth to support and contain the warmth of the athlete""s critical physical structure.
It is a shortcoming of the athletic shorts constructed of such materials that Lycra(copyright) has limited through pores thus rendering the material impervious to air and preventing adequate ventilation. It is this characteristic that is advantageous for such material to be utilized as wetsuits for maintaining the warmth and comfort of swimmers, surfers and divers working in cold ocean waters. That characteristic in an athletic short worn for three hours or more on a hot day in a baseball game can, however, detract considerably from the comfort and performance of the athlete.
Thus there has long existed a need for a form fitting athletic garment that will provide meaningful support for the athlete but yet will provide for ventilation, particularly in the crotch area which often experiences considerable heat and is subject to extensive perspiration. To this end, various garments and materials have been proposed. One such garment is in the form of a pair of shorts which includes form fitting legs carried from a pair of ventilation jockey style shorts covering the abdomen and buttock up to the waist. A device of this type is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,136,727 to Brisco. Such devices, while satisfactory for some applications, fail to provide the necessary degree of support around the groin area and in the buttocks area thus leaving the athlete open to potential injuries and reoccurring injuries in the groin area.
Consequently, there exists a need for an athletic garment which will provide the desired support for the upper legs, buttocks, and groin while affording ventilation in the crotch area and below for maintaining the desired combination of support and ventilation.
The athletic garment of the present invention is characterized by a relatively heavy form fitting material about the buttocks, hips and outer legs and having a ventilating mesh in the crotch and inner leg area.
The invention can take many different forms. In one instance, it is in the form of an undergarment to be worn under a baseball player""s uniform. One embodiment is in the form of a pair of shorts extending to the mid-thigh area. In other forms, the legs extend downwardly to just above the knee and in other forms they extend entirely to the athlete""s ankles.
It is contemplated that the ventilation gusset in the crotch and inner leg area can be in the form of 80% polyester and/or nylon fiber and 5% to 20% spandex, Lycra(copyright) or the like. The mesh in some embodiments has from 75 to 125 openings per square inch in the relaxed state and 40 to 60 openings per square inch in the stretched state.
In some embodiments, the form fitting body material is constructed of a knitted or woven microfiber polyester. It can be a blend of knitted polyester designed to wick moisture away from the body to the exterior surface of the garment. It can be on the order of 80% to 93% polyester and the remainder spandex. In some form, the body material is constructed of 100% woven microfiber polyester.